Community News - Manatee Spotlight January 22, 2012

Pooch-friendly Polo Match to Benefit Honor Animal Rescue

Bring your pooch to the polo fields and support Honor Animal Rescue, one of the area’s largest no-kill animal shelters, at the 3^rd Annual Ponies for Pups, Saturday, March 10 at the Sarasota Polo Club, 8201 Polo Club Lane, Sarasota. The dog-friendly event starts at 11 a.m.; the polo match begins at 1 p.m.

Tickets are $10 per person for field side tailgating (bring your own lunch). Children 12 and younger – and leashed dogs – are admitted free. For $35 per person, guests can enjoy pavilion seating and a catered lunch provided by Polo Grill and Fete Catering. Premier tailgate parking field side, with limited availability, is $15 per vehicle.

The event also includes a large silent auction and a special performance by the ever-popular Clydesdale horses.

Sponsorships are still available. For more information, visit www.honoranimalrescue.org or call Kimberly Henley at (941) 545-8734.

W. D. Sugg Middle School Students Give Back to Community

The W. D. Sugg Middle School TSA chapter recently helped G. T. Bray Park by making and placing benches. They built six benches for the Walton Raquet Center Tennis Courts at G.T. Bray Park. They also placed a Geocache by the tennis courts. This project was for an event called Construction Challenge in
the Sugg chapter of the Technology Student Association. The school became involved in the community by helping with a community need at the park. White Sands Beach Resort sponsored the project and donated $110.68. This money paid for the Geocaching supplies; that included travel bugs and official Geocaching containers. TNT towing and Recovery also sponsored this project; they ended up donating the supplies for the display board and painted it. To thank them for their support the TSA chapter placed a Geocache at the White Sands Beach Resort at Anna Maria Island and TNT Towing and Recovery. To find the two Geocaches visit www.geocaching.com and search TSA Construction Challenge 2011-2012. Kris Gerry and Ian MacDonald planned and constructed the project.

Gulf Coast Community Foundation Awards Grant to JFCS

In December 2011, the Board of Directors of Gulf Coast Community Foundation approved a grant from The Venice Endowment Fund to JFCS in the amount of $79,571 to continue funding the position of National and Governmental Grant Writer at the agency. 

This position has helped JFCS secure more than $5.7 million in funding for essential safety net services it provides in the region.  The goal of this grant is to realize an increase in revenue of $238,713 in national and governmental grants in 2012. 

Right at Home Sarasota Announces New Training Center

Leading provider of in-home care services, Right at Home Sarasota is pleased to announce the opening of its new training center. The training center gives the organization the ability to conduct ongoing training sessions to staff and caregivers as part of its quality assurance program. By providing advanced training on a regular basis, Right at Home exceeds state requirements.

“Our commitment is to go above and beyond to ensure our caregivers provide the industry’s best care to clients now and always,” says Michael Juceam, CEO, Right at Home Sarasota. “Our training center will help us accomplish this.”

A sign of growth and dedication, the training center gives Right at Home an important advantage: the ability to provide an expanded training curriculum. This gives them the flexibility to offer more frequent sessions on a monthly basis. With the new training center comes an additional dedicated quality assurance manager who will be responsible for overseeing quality of care, service, and client satisfaction.

In an effort to build upon quality service, Right at Home will continue to host speakers who are subject matter experts. Right at Home trainers, Cindy Marino and Sandra Cherry, will lead the training effort and conduct several training sessions each month on topics including stroke, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s care. They kicked off the new training center with an Alzheimer’s educational series to be used nationwide.

Four USF Sarasota-Manatee students chosen for National Conference of Undergraduate Research

Four students at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee (USFSM) applied as participants in the National Conference for Undergraduate Research (NCUR) and all four were accepted.  These four students were selected from over 3,100 submissions.  Hosted at Weber State University in Utah from March 29-31, NCUR promotes undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activity in all fields of study.  The annual conference gives undergraduate scholars in all fields and from all types of institutions of higher learning a forum to share the results of their work through posters, presentations, performances and works of art.

Rebecca Samler earns Five-Star Distinction

Rebecca Samler, PA, Realtor with Re/Max Alliance Group has earned the distinction of being a 2012 Five-Star Best in Client Satisfaction Real Estate Agent.  This is Rebecca's 7th consecutive year attaining this honor.  Rebecca is a consistent multi-million dollar producer and has worked in real estate for 18 years on the suncoast of Florida.